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ago by Innovator (57.9k points)
closed ago by
The next Disneyland location will be built in the U.A.E.
closed with the note: Fact-check selected.

10 Answers

1 like 0 dislike
ago by Apprentice (1.2k points)
selected ago by
 
Best answer
This claim is true. The plans for the new resort in Abu Dhabi were revealed on May 7. "This is going to be one of the most advanced theme parks that we've ever built," Disney Experience Chairman Josh D'Amaro said in an interview with USA TODAY." (USA TODAY) The park will feel like Disney but also reflect the Emirati culture, making it a beautiful mix of two worlds. "Disney and its legendary Imagineers will lead creative design and operational oversight to provide a world-class experience" (The Walt Disney Company). This park will be a historical milestone that will advance the island's position as a global destination for exceptional entertainment and leisure.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/theme-parks/2025/05/07/disney-new-theme-park/83458415007/

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-announces-abu-dhabi-theme-park/
True
ago by Newbie (220 points)
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This is a great response to the claim, by providing quotes from separate trustworthy news sources you concisely confirm that this statement is true. Props for citing the actual walt disney company in your response.
ago by Newbie (240 points)
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This was very well written, the source USA TODAY helps prove your statement factual by citing a reputable source but you also reinforce this by citing Disney explicitly in the fact check insuring to display the primary source: Well done11
ago by Novice (520 points)
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Thank you for your excellent fact check! You provided generous amounts of information to support the claim including multiple sources and quotes. I also like how you provided information on the way the new park will be presented.
ago by Newbie (310 points)
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The sources you provided with your response are very well chosen and helpful towards gaining context of the whole situtation.
ago by Novice (540 points)
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Your fact-check clearly debunks the myth that EVs are worse than gas cars, highlighting emissions and battery offsets. Great job using credible sources to clarify environmental benefits as well.
2 like 0 dislike
ago by Newbie (260 points)

This is true, the article "Disney announces a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, its first new resort in a generation" by CNN states, "The Disneyland Abu Dhabi resort will become Disney’s seventh global resort destination, the company announced Wednesday shortly after reporting strong second-quarter earnings."

Another source for this can be seen on Good Morning America's YouTube page titled "New Disney destination coming to Abu Dhabi," where the Walt Disney Company's CEO, Bob Iger, states this. 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/07/travel/disney-earnings-new-themepark-abu-dhabi#:~:text=The%20Disneyland%20Abu%20Dhabi%20resort,reporting%20strong%20second%2Dquarter%20earnings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQs4lOKIEc

True
ago by Newbie (200 points)
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thanks for sharing those sources! I didn't know Disney had officially announced a park in Abu Dhabi. I think it would make your post even stronger if you explained a little more about the CNN article, like when the announcement was made or if Disney has given a timeline for construction. that helps readers know how recent and real the info is!
ago by Novice (560 points)
1 0
Those are all great, reliable sources...Disney has also made an official comment on the status of their new park.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-company-and-miral-announce-plans-for-disney-theme-park-and-resort-on-yas-island-abu-dhabi/
ago by Novice (750 points)
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Great work on this fact check! You’ve provided solid sources that directly confirm the claim, especially the CNN article and the Good Morning America segment featuring Bob Iger. Including both a written and video source strengthens the credibility of your post and makes it easy for others to verify the information themselves.
ago by Novice (900 points)
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Thanks for backing up your claim with solid sources! I didn’t realize Disney had made the announcement official either. You could make your post even stronger by mentioning when the announcement was made or whether Disney has shared any details about when the park will open.
ago by Newbie (200 points)
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Thanks for sharing credible sources and having evidence to back up your claim. This is a very interesting fact that I have yet to hear but am excited to hear more about in the later future.
ago by Newbie (280 points)
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Thanks for bringing this up, I actually didn't know that they were building a new park there. I'm aware that there is a Dubai based Universal Studios park, so I imagine that they are doing this to compete with their longtime rivals.
ago by (180 points)
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Thanks for the great feedback! I totally agree that adding a bit more context about the CNN article, like when the announcement was made or if there's a construction timeline, could help strengthen the post and show how recent and valid the information is.

I also appreciate you sharing the official Disney announcement link — that adds even more authority to the fact check! It’s great that you mentioned both written and video sources, as that really makes it easy for readers to verify everything themselves.
ago by Novice (540 points)
0 0
Your fact-check accurately confirms Disney's new Abu Dhabi theme park, backed by CNN's article and Bob Iger's statement on Good Morning America. Solid sources to verify Disney’s seventh global resort destination using a well structed paragraph to break it down.
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ago by Newbie (200 points)

I do not think this is true because, There is no official news from Disney saying they are building a Disneyland in the United Arab Emirates. I checked Disney’s official website and recent news articles, and none of them mention a new park there. The most recent Disney projects are happening in Paris and Tokyo, not the U.A.E. Some blogs and social media posts have spread rumors, but they aren’t based on real facts or trusted sources. 

Sources

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/12/disney-park-expansion-plans.html

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-global-expansion-parks-2024-update-2024-10-03/

False
ago by Novice (600 points)
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While you made a great argument, there are sources, including CNN and Good Morning America, that confirm Disney has officially announced plans for a Disneyland in Abu Dhabi. Bob Iger himself discussed it in recent interviews.
ago by Newbie (220 points)
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I checked your first source and the first thing that pops up is Disneys announcement of opening a them park in Abu Dhabi. I tried clicking on your other 2 sources but both of the sites were taken down. Next time find some more sources and ones that won't lead you in the wrong direction.
ago by Novice (560 points)
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Unfortunately, your sources seem to have taken down the articles you referenced. The official Disney website has stated they will be opening a new park in the UAE.
 https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-company-and-miral-announce-plans-for-disney-theme-park-and-resort-on-yas-island-abu-dhabi/
ago by Apprentice (1.6k points)
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You make a valid point, and I am as skeptical as you are—especially since Disney's official newsroom and major outlets like CNBC and Reuters have not confirmed anything. That said, I think that it is worth noting that rumors about a Disneyland in the U.A.E. have circulated for years, often fueled by local development plans or investment interest on the part of Gulf investors. For example, back in 2016, there were rumors about Dubai Parks and Resorts reaching out to Disney, though nothing materialized. While your point about the current focus being Paris and Tokyo is totally accurate, I’d be curious to see if any recent UAE government statements or developer proposals might be feeding the latest rumors—even if they aren’t backed by Disney itself. This would enable us to monitor where the misinformation is starting and how it's spreading online. Good job supporting your argument with primary sources!
ago by Newbie (280 points)
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This seems to be incorrect, there are indeed plans that Disney plans to make a new park in the UAE. It seems that a couple of your sources were taken down as well, so it seems that said sources have been deleted as of the announcement.
1 like 0 dislike
ago by Novice (730 points)
This claim is true. The Walt Disney Company has officially made plans and announced an agreement with Miral, Abu Dhabi's leading creator of immersive destinations, to create a technologically advanced Disney theme park resort in the U.A.E. This project is said to be one of the most innovative and immersive projects in the industry of theme parks and will be stationed on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is located within a four hour flight of one third of the world's population, making it a great spot to create this theme park.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-announces-abu-dhabi-theme-park/

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/07/travel/disney-earnings-new-themepark-abu-dhabi
True
ago by Newbie (220 points)
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I like how you added that it is going to be super technologically advanced park and be one of the most innovative parks in the industry. This will be a great spot and I think one of their most popular parks as it will be the newest thing out as well as one of the biggest customer markets in the world.
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ago by Newbie (220 points)

CNN has never been a reliable source but I think it is true because I have been seeing plenty of other news about how Disney is going to open a resort in Abu Dhabi. It will be Disney's 7th park and the first time in 15 years that they has announced a new them park, but it will be there first one in the Middle East with over 500 million people with the means to go there.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/07/travel/disney-earnings-new-themepark-abu-dhabi#:~:text=Miral%2C%20an%20Abu%20Dhabi%20company,an%20unknown%20number%20of%20hotels.

True
ago by Newbie (300 points)
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You’re right that a lot of other outlets are reporting on the Disney/Abu Dhabi project, and CNN seems to be one of the original sources breaking the story. But I’d argue against the claim that “CNN has never been a reliable source.” That’s a strong blanket statement that definitely would need its own fact check. CNN is widely recognized as a mainstream media outlet, and while it can carry bias like any source, its reporting—especially on corporate news like Disney announcements—is typically fact-checked and backed by direct press releases. Also, your stat about “over 500 million people with the means to go there” seems high and could use a source or clarification—do you mean the number of people in the Middle East, or just those who can afford theme park trips?
ago by Novice (520 points)
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While I appreciate your argument in how other news sources have reported information that Disney will open a park in the Middle East is true, I would like to comment regarding your opening statement on how CNN is not typically a reliable source. News stations like CNN and Fox may be politically biased, but are rarely inaccurate in reporting news that aren't related to supporting a political agenda. In the news world, you can't knock down the truth of a statement due to who made it. Instead, you must focus on the content of what is said instead. In this case, like your argument says, they are truthful in their reports.
0 like 0 dislike
ago by Novice (560 points)
It is true that Disney is planning to open a new location in Abu Dhabi. On May 7th, 2025, they officially stated on their website that "the waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island, a world-class destination for entertainment and leisure," just as the original linked article said.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-company-and-miral-announce-plans-for-disney-theme-park-and-resort-on-yas-island-abu-dhabi/
True
0 like 0 dislike
ago by Novice (670 points)

While there is not apparent source on the article you provided, I found an article from USA Today that conducted an interview with Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro who confirmed the future creation of this theme park. The article also brought up the company that Disney is going to partner with for the creation of this park. This company is the Miral Group based out of the UAE. This company is responsible for some of the UAE's biggest tourist attractions.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/theme-parks/2025/05/07/disney-new-theme-park/83458415007/

True
0 like 0 dislike
ago by Newbie (340 points)
Hi! This was confirmed to be true this week! Disney has announced a new park being built in Abu Dhabi, on the same island as SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. It will be the seventh Disney park globally and the first in the Middle East. The announcement came on the heels of strong second-quarter earnings, so a new investment makes sense for the company from a business perspective.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-announces-abu-dhabi-theme-park/

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/07/travel/disney-earnings-new-themepark-abu-dhabi
True
1 like 0 dislike
ago by Newbie (370 points)
he claim that “the next Disneyland location will be built in the U.A.E.” is true, though slightly misleading in wording. The Walt Disney Company and Miral have officially announced plans to build a Disney Theme Park location in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Yas Island. It will be the 7th Disney Theme Park location and will combine Disney stories and attractions with local culture and architecture. While not called “Disneyland,” it is a full-scale Disney resort, making the claim mostly accurate. Like how Orlando location is "Walt Disney World" and Tokyo's is "DisneySea". I think it will have its own name, but I see what you meant. https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-announces-abu-dhabi-theme-park/
True
0 like 0 dislike
ago by (140 points)
Yes, it's true that Disney has announced plans to build a new theme park in the United Arab Emirates. The park, tentatively named "Disneyland Abu Dhabi," will be located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, a prominent entertainment destination already home to attractions like Ferrari World and Warner Bros. World. This will be Disney's first theme park in the Middle East and its seventh global resort, following those in the U.S., Japan, France, and China.

https://people.com/disney-announces-disneyland-abu-dhabi-a-whole-new-world-of-imagination-11729813

https://www.ipsinternational.org/why-disneyland-will-not-build-in-uae/
True
ago by Newbie (300 points)
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I like that you used multiple sources to provide that the statement is true. Obviously the best source would be Disney themselves. One thing I would comment is that you have listed the sources but how do I know that those sources are valid. I would give at least a little background on both sources to show the reader that they are a viable source.

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